Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-08-04
THE NEW RAILWAY.
HOW ELECTRICITY WORKS IN THE STREETS
OF TAR-OFF Los ANGELES.
How Tb5u1gbiare Came 70 be Dubbed "GaIlows
Ayolue'-A Brief Description
Of the Plant

A Wheeling gentleman who recently re-
turned from Los Angeles, California, where
they have an electrical railroad in active
operation, yesterday detailed toa REGISTER
reporter some facts connected with the
construction aud operation of the plant
which may he of interest to the Wheeling
public inst now since an electrical railway
is on the carpet. He said:
The road is in operation from point
near the business centre through the
suburbs to a point outside the huilt-np
norton Of the town. The line, | should
Judge is about i've miles in length. 1t
has been in operation continuously since its
construction, 80 far as | know, and seems
to be fairly successful At the same time
il has two serious drawbacks or
ohiectiors one of these is the
m.irhtly condition Of Il street
after the plant is up and in operation, and
the other il the loud and dlsagreeahe noise
made by the motors. In Los Angeles The
electrical cable through which power ~
transmitted To the cars Is supported 81
gallows-shaprd dyTrIcks, which staud on
the line of the curbing On either SHE I'll
the street, an arm n the top, properly
bracrd, rNtendin" out to the centre Int "I
the street These drIricks %Tt 80 suEgts'
tive ia appearance that ih" street through
which the electric line runs IN Los Angeles
Is universally known Is Galluws Avenue.
The other objection as to nulac can he
overcome. am informed, but certainly
no ATTEMPT has been made
in that direction at Los Angeles.
There u motor, prov lded with seats, and a
passenger car were run together. ana
persons seated M the motor had great dIi
fculty IN conv,Iaing together, even win
their voices pitched At higH key. The
noise j, also apt tu produce trouble with
horses. At the time | WAS III the town
there was talk ur taking down The ulJr"i"n-
able o,crhrad wire, AMI putin. II under
g,uund hut when got 10 Denver, 81 my
way East. luumi the underground wire
10 be- a failure, aud the rahic-rar system
Was hrug substituted.
The overhead electrical cI"i" supports
smaIl car, probably eighteen mchrs
or two feet long which runs
freely alou,, it. From tins small car
wire runs IL either end OF the motor, S"ihal
when the latter Ia started in either direc
ton the small ear on the cable follows II |
From this small car other wires depend IN
vertical direction 10 the motor, trans
hitting the electrical current to the dy- |
uamOs When the engineer turns on tin"
current and the dynamo * set ~ motion,
brilliant shower of sparks II pr"dIrui |
sufficient To illuminate the motor at night, !
while the noise Is Of particularly disagree
able nature The cars are capable OF u
speed OF eighteen or twenty miles an hour, |
but ordinarily run at Il much less rate.
They are started and stopped very readily. /
"'rhe people out there are taking steps |
to put up new rapid transit road to santa
Monica, ul the coast, and a committee al
two went Fist to look NJ Improved systems. ,
They reported IN favor Oi an electrical
motor of, think, the Fisher patent, which /
is uois.!rs- aud free from about Ill the oh !
jcctions attaching TO the overhead system, |
but | know nothing vi It's practical! work |
ings
"rhc underground wire system is free |
from NNllf bl iDf tlI''ll'uN NNN' Hi'li .
toned rs applying to the Las Angeles
road, but don't think il would be praC-
ticahle in Wheeling Tor several reasons.
one of these is the liability of the ditch |
containing the cable to choke up with mud |
and water after every heavy shower Our
drainage and sewage Is very imperfect, and |
with every moderate rain the operations |
of the company would he seriously delayed. |
To 0byiate this by making the cable-ditch |
large enough to to admit OF The passage OF
a man To clean il ont, would be very costly. |
~ costly aS to render the expectancy OF
putting il in here more tlIIn doubtful. Be
sides this, there Is an element of danger
attending the underground system, cspeai-
ally in wet weather, which is worthy OF
serious consideration.
There will he another Joint meeting OF
the Council Committees on Ordinances and
Railroads. tonight, at the City Hail, |
when the two ordinances now pending,
and which have been printed, will receive
Iultur Cuuglir RAJ ion